Not me. But if you're trapping out, put some no-skid/outdoor carpet/anything.... on the top deck of the hull behind the tramp so you can put a foot back there.... when you're trapping out being able to step back there really helps put the weight back and keep the leeward bow up.

Also, if you have a turbo, when going off the wind, the jib helps to press that leeward bow down... so while you DO want to keep the sterns up on a run, too much and you'll nosedive... I try to just watch the jib and the bow and my weight placement...

I'm learning that sailing the most out of a 14 turbo is a delicate dance.

I just got mine and I haven't installed them yet. Hobie says no drilling required for a 14....NOT TRUE! So I'm a little nervous about drilling holes in my hulls. Guess I just need to bite the bullet, I'll let you know how it goes. Have a Hobie day!

Who ssays no drilling required for a 14? The catalog has no mention and the first item in the instructions are as follows...

Quote:

Hobie 14 Installation Instructions

1. Push a Hydro Foil under the lip of a hull at the bow as shown in the diagram. Hold the foil in placeand insert a 5/16" drill bit up through the existing oval hole and drill a hole up through the lip of thebow.

I agree they are overpriced for what they are. I am not willing to pay that much for two small metal plates. However that's common for items with low demand, items mass produced are always cheaper than low-volume items.

And if the price was lower, I doubt there would be a huge spike in demand either. Seems more people are against them than for. I'd consider it if it was half the price. Contemplating building my own, but not convinced yet.

Bite the bullet and buy them. I felt the same way about buying beach wheels ($400 -$500), but I finally ponied up the cash and could kick myself for not doing it years earlier. I have 3 friends who sail H14Turbos, all with hydrofoils, and they can drive the boats much harder with less consequences. They will not save you always, but they do increase the margine of error (and face it, we could all use bigger margins). To drill the holes tape the hydrofoil in place and drill up through the hydrofoil hole. Insert the bolt from above. You will notice the bolt head will not be flush with the deck. We used a very small amount of Bondo (epoxy would work also) to fill the gap under the front of the bolt head (bolt inserted all the way in, but not tightened) and let cure, then we tightened the bolt (do not over tighten).